FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

These are the questions we could think of but you may have another. If you don’t see what you need to know here, please reach out to us and we will try to answer yours.

How do Presbyterians differ from other Christian denominations?

As Presbyterians we trace our church origins back to the Protestant Reformation with its emphasis on reclaiming of the centrality of the Bible, placing a priority on the grace of God through faith, and recognizing that all believers stand equally before God. Our church tradition celebrates two sacraments - Baptism (both infant and adult) and the Lord's Supper. Our denomination's representative form of government enacted through 4 levels of authority is what is most distinctive about Presbyterians. On the whole, Presbyterians value seminary trained church leadership, a care and concern for the living conditions of people in God's world, and ministries of education, health, and social justice.

How does your church differ from other Presbyterian churches in Austin?

Our particular church places a high priority on relational acceptance and being a nurturing community of faith for one another. We see ourselves as a "progressive" Christian community of faith that provides a home for those who have been excluded by or turned off by traditional Christian churches. We value open-minded worship with intellectual integrity and we embrace together the search for God in our lives rather than certainty about God. Our sense of Christian mission leads us to emphasize ministries of compassion and social justice as our primary Christian practices. Within the wide variety of Presbyterian churches in Austin we share more of a commonality with the two or three of our sister churches who represent a liberal or progressive expression of Presbyterianism and that openly welcome gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, and trans-gendered folks in our community to take part in the life of our church. Our congregation is made up of accepting people, who practice forbearance of others, who are generous in their compassion, who seek to find non-traditional ways to express our faith, and who enjoy a good sense of humor.

What would I/ we find going on within your church on a typical Sunday?

Our Sunday worship service begins at 10 am and the worship hour is followed by a Christian education hour (except during the summer months) with separate classes for children, youth, and adults. During the summer, we share refreshments and fellowship following the worship service. Our music ministry, which includes both traditional and contemporary forms of music, is a regular part of our Sunday worship experiences. You will find people coming from all walks of life and even other countries; many who dress casually, some who are long-time members of our church and many who have joined us in recent years. Our congregation shares a Passing of the Peace in our worship services when we welcome visitors and greet one another in Christian friendship. We celebrate the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper on the first Sunday of each month and we have our ministry committee meetings on the second Sunday of each month, after the education hour. The session meets on the third Sunday of each month after the education hour. On other Sundays we often schedule special educational programs or fellowship activities for youth and adults. You will always hear an invitation for our congregation to take part in one of the many social ministries of our church or one of our monthly fellowship opportunities.

What do I have to believe or do to belong to your church?

We would like for you to believe that you are a child of God who sees in the Jesus story a vision of God's love for the world that involves our desire and efforts to love our neighbors as ourselves. It helps if you see the church as an imperfect expression of Christ's mission in the world that is in need of transformation itself so that we can embody the grace, love, forgiveness, and justice of God within both the church and in our world. As Presbyterians, we expect our church members to participate actively in the worship life and ministries of our church, to be our friends in Christ, to engage in spiritual practices that strengthen our Christian identity and service, and to support the work of the church through the giving of our time, our talents, and our money. Those who desire to join our church are invited to meet with the session on any Sunday morning to make a simple profession of faith, or to transfer church membership or reaffirm one's previous affirmation of faith. We hope that folks who join our church will get involved in one or more of the ministries of our church and will take on a leadership responsibility in the life of our church when asked to do so.